Iowa
Working families in Iowa need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Iowa. But too many working families in Iowa are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Iowa economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 230K children ages 5 and under in Iowa – 74% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Iowa is around $12,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 14% of eligible families in Iowa. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Iowa earn just $25,880 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Iowa’s economy loses $1.1B annually due to child care challenges
Iowa: In The Headlines
Letter: Head Start matters
The Gazette | October 2, 2025
So many children are on Early Head Start and Head Start waiting lists due to lack of funding. Our children can’t wait. They need the best program possible during birth through 5 years old when the brain is the most active.
Funding cuts threaten Iowa Head Start programs
Daily Iowan | oCTOBER 14, 2025
With funding cuts looming, Head Start strives to keep Iowa’s children fed, healthy, and ready for school.
Spencer Child Care Study Reveals Economic Growth Challenges
Northwest Iowa Now | September 17, 2025
The survey of both employees and employers has come up with a deficit of 788 childcare slots.
Iowa Resources & News
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JOINT STATEMENT: Groups Call on Congress to Protect Head Start, End the Shutdown
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Families with young children are feeling the pain of the federal shutdown, and without immediate Congressional action, tens of thousands of children could lose access to Head …
ANALYSIS: FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets
FFYF’s 2025 State Fact Sheets show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. These federal programs not only benefit families nationwide, they also serve …
State-By-State: A Look At How Many Families Receive the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC)
The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) helps millions of working families cover a portion of their child care costs. In 2022, more than 5.7 million families nationwide benefitted …
Through the Years: Preschool Development Grants Birth Through Five
The Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program is a $315 million competitive federal grant designed to improve collaboration and quality in states’ early childhood systems by building …
Republican Quotes of Support for Head Start
Head Start provides high-quality learning and care, nutrition, and medical services for young children whose families have incomes below poverty. This helps their parents to go to work, especially in …
How a Lack of Affordable Child Care Impacts the Economy
Two-thirds of all children ages five and under need some form of child care because all of the adults in their home are working. But child care remains both expensive …
The First Five Things to Know About: The Britt-Kaine Bipartisan Child Care Plan
First Introduced: July 2024 Reintroduced: March 2025. Parents want to make child care choices that best support their family’s individual needs and their child’s development. This is especially true for …
FFYF Analysis of 2025 State of the State Addresses
Since 2019, First Five Years Fund (FFYF) has analyzed State of the State addresses given by governors across the country. This year’s analysis looked at the 37 governors who delivered …
Statement: FFYF on the Committee Passage of the Small Business Child Care Investment Act
Today, First Five Years Fund Executive Director Sarah Rittling released the following statement after the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship passed Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Jackie Rosen’s …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care and Early Learning
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …
The First Five Things to Know About: the House Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus
Addressing the child care needs of families across America is a critical element to strengthening our communities and our economy. For years, the House Bipartisan Pre-K and Child Care Caucus …
2024 Child Care and Early Learning State Fact Sheets
FFYF’s 2024 State Fact Sheets from 50 states and Washington, D.C. show how federal investments in child care impact working parents, children, and the economy. Federal funding and programs benefit …
Essential Excerpts: Child Care Quotes From The Hill
As we monitored hearings on Capitol Hill this week, it was striking to see how many of them featured the issue of child care. From the House Appropriations Committee to …
2024 CCDBG State Fact Sheets
First Five Years Fund released a new collection of fact sheets from all 50 states detailing how the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) helps families and kids in …
2024 Hill Briefing: ABCs of Federal Child Care and Early Learning
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) hosted Congressional staff for its annual bipartisan “ABCs of Federal Child Care and Early Learning” briefing. The session focused on the …
New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements
Every day, early childhood educators play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the minds of our youngest learners. Yet, the qualifications required for this essential workforce vary drastically across …
FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses
Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …
Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …
Bipartisan Child Care Town Hall with Representatives Bonamici and Hinson
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) hosted Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Ashley Hinson (R-IA) for a town hall to discuss the importance of child care in their …
The First Five Things to Know About: Representative Ashley Hinson
As part of an ongoing series on the Bipartisan Child Care and Pre-K Caucus, First Five Years Fund is chatting with each of the co-chairs about their role as a …
FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets
Our new analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that child care and early learning programs have tremendous impacts on young children, their families, and the economy at …
Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Tackles Access to Child Care for Parents Who Work Nontraditional Hours
Last month, Reps. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Mark Pocan (D-WI) introduced H.R. 3639, the House companion to S. 976 the After Hours Child Care …
New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program
New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …
How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State
The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …
FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets
Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …
Iowa — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …
2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding
FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …
Iowa — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
States Lose Billions in Economic Activity from Child Care Breakdowns
The past year has brought on an increased awareness of the importance of child care to the economy. But even before the pandemic, families struggled to find and afford high-quality …
FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes
This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …
Iowa: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States
On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state. As in previous years, CAP’s …
See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care
Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …
Iowa: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities
High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …
46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants
Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …
